Always Nice to Come Home
by ifyougetedwardigetemmett
Summary: AU-Kate and Rick's original first meeting, and the case that brings them together. Rated T to be safe :
1. Prologue

**Hello, dearies!  
><strong>**Usually, I'm strictly a twilight writer, BUT since I haven't actually read twilight in like...4 years, I'm moving on!  
><strong>**This is my first Castle fanfic, and I've got a little more than this written, I just want to know if my fellow readers this it's worth reading.  
><strong>**Let me know please 3**

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><p>"Always nice to come home." Richard Castle sighed as he dropped his suitcase at the entrance of his large loft.<p>

"Yes!" Alexis agreed, pushing her way passed him and into the living area. Her small, Seven year old self probably could have squeezed by him without any issue, but she seemed intent on getting her father out of the way. She trailed her own Hannah Montana suitcase. She dropped it right in the middle of the living room, a rare act of untidiness on her part.

For Rick, though, leaving his suitcase lying around as he did now was not unusual. He sauntered into the kitchen and opened the fridge, searching for a refreshing drink he could have while lounging around for the next few hours. He would have to continue working on his Derek Storm novel soon, but now he just wanted to relax.

Alexis was heading upstairs, taking the stairs two at a time as she bounded up the steps. Though her suitcase remained where it was in the smack centre of the living room, she'd shrugged off her jacket and dutifully hung it in the closet. Her shoes were placed perfectly underneath it. Rick truly had no idea where his daughter had gotten her meticulous neatness from. It certainly wasn't from him or his ex-wife, her mother.

He'd just sat down and was opening a bottle of Pepsi when a piercing scream erupted from upstairs. He was back on his feet in an instant, ignoring the now spilt bottle as he rushed up the stairs, desperate to find Alexis. If anything had happened to her…

He found her just as she screamed again. She was in her room, only a few feet passed the door. As soon as her father came through the door, she latched onto him, tears streaming down her fair cheeks.

Castle picked up Alexis and held her tightly in his arms, shielding her from the dark red, almost brown, stain that covered her floor. The stench was nauseating, something he'd never smelled in real life.

It could really only be one thing.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Castle, you'll obviously have to move to a safe house for now, until we have this situation under control." Detective Montgomery told him. The man was relatively tall, African-American, and had an intense stare that was making Rick uncomfortable.<p>

When he'd seen the blood that covered Alexis's floor he'd immediately called the cops. The officer he'd gotten a hold of stood near the door. Officer Kate Beckett. When he'd explained the situation to her, she reached up to the higher power of New York. The Detectives.

Officer Beckett herself would have been of average height, but the inch and a half heel on her shoe made her seem taller. She had dark brown glossy hair, reaching to about shoulder length. She was young, in her early twenties, but some sort of weight seemed to hang over her, pressing down on her slim form. Her face was impassive, and was pale, so pale it was almost unhealthy. She was skinny and frighteningly so. She'd been gifted with soft features; high cheekbones, full lips, and deep eyes framed by thick lashes. She stood with her thumbs in her jean pockets. She kept warm with a black leather jacket that ended at the hem of her shirt.

All in all, she was hot.

But right now, he wasn't Richard Castle the celebrity, he was Alexis's daddy.

Alexis clung to Rick's shirt, but her wide blue eyes were taking in all the cops that were wandering the apartment. This sent him wondering again about Officer Beckett, who stood at the door like a shadow, unmoving. Why wasn't she searching for clues and evidence, like everyone seemed to be doing? He started to feel almost angry. Why wasn't she helping?

As a crime novelist, Rick knew something was out of place, but right now, he just wanted to deal with his daughter, who was watching everything unfold before her.

"Why don't we go get some ice cream?" He asked Alexis, whose small face lit at the prospect of a treat.

"Strawberry?" She asked, her blue eyes shinning and a grin planted solidly on her lips.

Rick sighed in mock disapproval. "It seems I'll never be able to convert you to the dark side. Or, more accurately, the _chocolate_ side." He started to head toward the door. When Detective Montgomery stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Castle. You can't be permitted to leave at the moment." He told Rick.

Frustration hit him like a wave. "I wasn't even in town. I didn't do anything, and now I can't get my daughter out of this apartment while you search for clues about a _murder_?"

"Mr. Castle, you must realize that life isn't always like your books. However, in this case we can't let you leave because of the danger. Whoever was in here might have been looking for you or your daughter." Montgomery fixed Castle with a firm stare. At the mention of Alexis, Castle's resolve faltered. He could never put Alexis in danger.

"Give him a break, detective." A new voice drawled. It was scratchy and low. Rick looked over the guy. He was standing next to Officer Beckett, his hand resting on her shoulder. "It's not like he's got much experience with the real deal."

Detective Royce, as he'd been introduced to Rick, was Officer Beckett's training officer. He had tanned brown skin that stood out next to Officer Beckett's pale face. His hair was cut short, shorter than Rick's, and his eyes were a deep brown that seemed to take everything in. He wasn't as tall as Montgomery, but easily as imposing. After his comment to Montgomery, he'd turned his attention to the young woman at his side, and they were deep in conversation. He seemed to be getting her take on the situation, interrupting her when he felt she'd missed something.

Rick watched in fascination at the way the officer behaved around Royce, compared to Montgomery. She was obviously more comfortable with her training officer, and looked at him with eyes and a face that radiated admiration.

His hopelessness must have shown in his face, because for the first time, Officer Beckett stepped forward. "Detective, I could go with them." She told Montgomery, her eyes not leaving Montgomery's face. Royce kept his hand on her shoulder, watching her closely.

Everyone seemed put off by her offer. Even some of the detectives looked up from their work in shock. Montgomery glared at them all and their eyes went back to evidence, or apparently, lack there of. Rick once again started to wonder about the officer.

"Beckett…" Montgomery seemed about to say something and there was something new in his face. He looked…almost sympathetic, but yet he didn't seem to want her too.

"Look Detective, I know you're supposed to be keeping an eye on me and all," She started, piquing Rick's curiosity. What had this young officer done to have to be watched? He listened as she continued. "But honestly, what could happen. If there's an attack I'll be with them, and do you really think this is the place for a seven year old?" She whispered the last bit.

Montgomery looked torn, but finally he sighed. "Fine. Call me if you need _anything_, if you go _anywhere_ else, or it takes longer than you thought. I'll expect Mr. Castle back here in 2 hours, tops, and you back at the station right after that. Mr Castle," Montgomery turned to him now, "You're not to leave Officer Beckett at any time, and when you come back, the building will be supervised."

Castle didn't appreciate his building being supervised, but it didn't seem like Detective Montgomery was going to waver there.

He turned to Officer Beckett. "Lead the way," he told her. A ghost of a smile formed on her lips, and she turned and led the way out of the apartment.

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><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**Tell me, what did you guys think? I LOVELOVELOVE reviews, they keep me going. **

**ALSO: If you've read my stories in the past, you'll know that I sometimes have a habit of advertising my favourite stories. I'm going to do this here, for the most part :) **

**Today's advertised story is: Maybe This Time **by **Cassie Valentine**

**"AU. In an alternate universe, Richard Castle tries to save his failing marriage with another baby. 6 months after the divorce, he meets Detective Kate Beckett and can't help but wonder if Maybe This Time. . ."**

**~~Luvyas!**


	2. Chapter 1

__**I hope none of you were terribly intrigued by the murder in the castle household. It's just a detail in the story. Now we continue, moving forward in Castle's life.**

_8 years later_

"Bye, Dad" Alexis waved to her father as she headed out to school. At fifteen, Alexis had let her bright orange hair grow to mid-back, and she seemed to be able to get it to do anything. Today it was tied neatly into a French braid. She stood at 5"3, and had a small waist. Her skin was as fair as ever, her eyes still their sparkling blue.

Rick Castle walked over and hugged her around the shoulders. His own hair was dishevelled, and he was in a loose t-shirt and light cotton pants. He looked like someone who'd just woken up. However, his eyes were not bleary, he didn't look tired. In fact, he looked stimulated, eyes shinning and grin already on his face. "Bye, sweet pea. Have a good day at school. Don't cause too much trouble. I'm tired of getting called down to the principal's office." Nonsense, of course.

Alexis grinned and ruffled her dad's hair. "I'll do my best," She replied, her voice sincere as ever. With that she was gone for the day.

When the door closed behind her, headed off to the kitchen to get a second coffee. He'd had the first while eating a small breakfast of eggs and toast with Alexis. Now he opened up the newspaper and searched for something interesting to read. As usual, the paper bored him.

There was nothing exciting in a newspaper when you were a crime novelist. All the news seemed boring compared to the thrilling tales of murder that he came up with on a daily basis. Even when he wasn't writing or was already working on something, ideas seemed to zoom into his head a present themselves.

Still, he'd managed to bore himself with Derek Storm, and was now running short on ideas. His publicist and ex-wife, Gina, would be on his back, nagging at him to come up with something new before he ran dry.

Metaphorically, of course.

He began to think of a new character. The newspaper was deposited into the recycling bin and he took a seat in a leather armchair. Maybe this time he'd write in a female point of view. What could he write about? Was she the good guy, the bad guy, someone in between? Maybe she was just someone watching some evil plot develop before her.

As he pondered on this, mind jumped back eight years, to an officer he'd met when he'd come back to a blood stained floor in his apartment. Try as he might, he couldn't remember her name, but he remembered _her_. She was not the type of person who was easy to forget.

To be honest, he'd only been with her for one day, and that had been mostly for the seven-year-old Alexis's benefit than his own.

What he certainly couldn't forget about her was how she'd acted toward his daughter. Though a complete stranger, she'd treated Alexis like an aunt treats a niece she rarely sees, and so spoils her at every chance she gets. Yet there was something different in the way the Officer had behaved as well. Though she couldn't answer the difficult questions, she had answered all of Alexis's questions to the best of her abilities. It had bordered on how someone treats an adult who is unfamiliar with a private matter.

His cell phone began to ring, bringing Rick back to his senses. He checked the caller ID before answering, and felt a strong urge to press ignore. It was Gina. He checked the clock on the microwave, and a fluorescent _9:03_ shone in bright yellow.

"Hello?" He answered, keeping his voice light, as though he didn't have any idea who could be calling, or for what reason.

"Richard Castle, what on earth have you done?" Gina had a confusing way of asking questions without actually asking. In this case, her wording suggested a question, and yet her delivery sounded more like she was simply stating a fact.

What a way to confuse a man.

"Why, hello Gina. To what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning call?" Rick asked, his voice light and sarcastic.

A heavy and irritated _sigh_ came through the phone. Castle could clearly hear her thin, high heeled shoes click as she paced her apartment.

Not exactly suitable pacing attire.

"Rick, you killed off Derek Storm. Why. Why would you do that?" Again, there was no rise in the tone of her voice at the end of her non-question, effectively making it just that, a question that was not actually a question.

He sank deeper into the chair. "Gina, I was done with Derek. I need something new."

"So you felt the need to put a bullet through his head? You couldn't just, I don't know, _retire_ the man?" Gina demanded. This time she managed to use both the words and the tone of a question.

Castle sighed. "I just did what came to me. Just give me a little break. I'll have something new for you in no time." He hoped.

"You'd better." Gina's voice was almost threatening. "Don't forget about the thing this evening. _Don't _be late." The 'thing' she was referring to was some sort of 'end of Derrick Storm party'.

"Oh, Gina, I'm never late." Rick said smoothly.

"'Fashionably not on time' is _not_ acceptable, Rick. Be there on time, or I'll know why." Definitely threatening that time. She hung up.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and simply sat for a moment. What to do.

Finally, he stood. Coming up with a new best-selling idea could wait. Now, he needed to find something to wear.

The flashing cameras would have blinded Rick had he not been wearing shades. His arm was wrapped around Gina's waist and he left it there, resting loosely on her hips. Gina put on her best fake smile and held her drink in one dainty hand.

"That was still a really stupid move, Richard." She muttered to him, leaving the smile on her face so their disagreement wouldn't be in the papers.

"Oh, Gina, Gina, Gina. I wouldn't have been able to write well anyway. I can't write a bestseller with a character I'm bored of." Rick flashed a charming grin at a passing camera and picked up a drink from a waiter.

Gina took a sip of her drink. An olive danced around in the bottom. "But a bullet to the head? Honestly?"

Rick took the hand away from her waist grabbed her free hand. "He died as he lived." He said with a smile, and kissed the back of her hand. Gina grinned for the sake of the cameras. With that, they separated.

"Rick." A voice Rick recognized called his name. Rick turned and walked over to where Cannell, Connelly and Patterson were standing in a circle.

"Hello, fellas." Rick said cheerfully.

"Hello, fellas indeed." A new voice from behind Rick spoke. Martha stepped forward from behind Rick. "Stephen, Michael, James, it's been entirely too long."

"It has indeed, Martha." Connelly kissed Martha's offered hand, much like Rick had kissed Gina's earlier. "Might I say, you look positively radiant?"

"Michael, you flatter me." Martha grinned at him. "You there simply must come by the loft more often."

Rick inclined his head. "It's weird when my mother starts inviting my friends over. I'm not sure if I like it." He spoke to his poker group.

"Oh, tut tut, darling." Martha flapped her hand at him and spun graciously to walk in the opposite direction.

**So there's chapter one.  
><strong>**Tell me what you think :)**

**~~Luv****yas**


	3. Chapter 2

The evening was going flawlessly, the writers, publishers, and high-ups that had been put on the guest list were mingling, drinking and in general seemed to be having a good time. Deciding he could take a quick break, he stepped outside the room Gina had booked into the cold New York air and pulled out his phone. He hit speed dial one and waited.

"Hello?"

"Hey, pumpkin, how's it going at home?" Rick asked Alexis. While he'd been disappointed she'd opted against coming with him tonight, he respected that Alexis disliked these sorts of events. Though she supported her father, she'd stopped coming to most.

"Hey dad. Everything's fine. How's your party?"

"The usual. Just wanted to make sure everything was alright with you." He stuck his free hand into the pocket of his suit, cursing himself for not having the brains to put on his jacket before stepping outside.

"Of course everything's fine. After I cleaned up and hid all evidence of that party I had while you were away, I just relaxed." Alexis joked, a smirk in her voice. "No, seriously, I've been reading."

"Why am I not surprised?" Rick smiled. "I'll let you go then. You call me if you need me."

"I know, dad." Alexis replied. "Have fun."

"Bye, pumpkin." And the two of them hung up. Although he was cold, he felt no desire to go back in quite yet. He walked around to the front of the building, having gone out the side. He was glad his shoes appeared to be waterproof as he walked through the inch of snow that had not been there when he'd arrived. It fell steadily now, making New York look picturesque and beautiful.

Rick's thoughts were interrupted by two Crown Victorias speeding towards him. They screeched to a stop.

Rick watched as a woman stepped out of the driver's side of the first car and two guys got out of the second. He noticed that they walked behind the woman at all times, forming a sort of triangle of power. They walked to the door.

"Names?" Rick heard a bored voice ask at the door. He saw the woman speak quietly and pull back one side of her coat. They were immediately let in.

When they were gone, Rick hurried over to where the young girl was standing at the door, clutching her clip board and talking into a walkie talkie urgently.

"Miss?" Rick asked, catching her attention.

"Mr. Castle!" She gasped. "There you are! They're waiting for you inside. They've been radio-ing me for ages, asking where you'd gone to."

"Those people, were they on the guest list?" He asked hurriedly. The girl gave him a blank stare and he resisted the urge to sigh. "Those people, the woman and the two guys, were they on the guest list?"

"Oh!" Understanding dawned on her face. "No, sir. They were cops. They were looking for Mr. Beelt. The lady said it was a murder case."

Rick raised his eyebrows. "You're sure?" A murder case? This wasn't some kind of sick jokes that Patterson, Cannell or Connelly was playing, was it? Would they go so far as to involve cops?

"Yessir. That's what the lady said." She cleared her throat. "Um, Mr Castle, if you don't mind my saying, I think you should go inside."

Rick did, relishing the heat of being indoors for only a moment before looking around. He indeed saw an angry looking man he'd met for only a brief moment being handcuffed and told his rights by the lady-cop. He was led away by the pair of guys, who looked surprisingly intimidating.

"Excuse me!" Gina rushed towards the lady cop to the best of her ability. Running in heels was difficult for her.

The cop turned, her long, waving hair twirling around her. "Yes?"

"You can't just go picking people up at parties and taking them to the police station!" Gina told her, trying to intimidate.

As intimidating as Rick found Gina, she was nothing compared to the lady-cop. "Actually, I can." The lady-cop said, raising one eyebrow. "When it's literally a matter of life and death, I'll come to your parties and pick up whoever the hell I want if I think they have motive." And with that, the lady-cop turned on the ball of her foot and followed after the two other cops, stopping at the door to get a list of everyone who had attended the event.

Rick couldn't help feeling that he'd seen her before. She certainly was beautiful, with flowing brown hair that framed her face and a slim figure accented by the belt that secured her coat around her waist.

Rick couldn't help but spend the rest of the night wondering where he'd seen her before, why should looked so familiar.

He got home around one in the morning to a dark home. A soft light shone in the kitchen, where a glass of water had been left for him by Alexis. He sat on one of the bar stools and drank it slowly, sipping the room-temperature water. Alexis was no doubt in bed, mature as she was, and it felt as though the rest of New York was as well.

But Rick was restless. The lady-cop hadn't even passed him a glance that he'd noticed, and her hair had covered her face most of the time he had seen her, no allowing him to get a good look at her face. Nonetheless, Rick knew he'd seen her before.

Frustrated, he put the empty glass in the dishwasher and turned the light off, leaving him blind in the kitchen. He slowly made his way out, picturing the room in his mind and desperately avoiding a stubbed toe.

Success! He'd made it out of the kitchen. Slowly, with his hands out in front of him, he made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom, sighing in relief when he turned the light on. He blinked furiously for a moment while his eyes adjusted to the light. When he could see well enough, he removed his suit jacket and hung it up carefully.

He continued his pre-sleep rituals, fatigue suddenly hitting him like a wrecking ball. He was sleeping when his head hit the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

"Dad!"

"Dad!"

"Dad!"

Rick turned over in his bed, hiding his face in his pillow. He opened one eye, looking at the alarm clock on the night stand.

_8:57_

Why was Alexis waking him up this early?

As that he processed that thought, Alexis opened the door and walk into his bedroom, letting in rays of light from the hall. He groaned and shut the eye he'd opened. Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear, he thought to himself.

"Dad, there are two cops here." She told him. He sat straight up in bed

"You're kidding." He said excitedly.

"No." Alexis watched him nervously. "I let them in; they're waiting for you downstairs. What did you do this time? I thought you stayed at the party all night." She crossed her arms. She was used to having cops call about her dad, either to tell her that he was in lock up and that that her and grams needed to go get him, or telling him he needed to go to the station.

Rick threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He walked out of the room, saying, 'I didn't do anything, I swear."

Alexis followed, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Rick walked down the stairs with a skip in his step. He was glad he'd worn sweats as well as his old t-shirt. Somehow, it was better than if he'd simply walked out wearing pajamas.

When he walked into the living room, two cops who'd been sitting on the couch stood. They were indeed the two guys from the night before. "Mr. Castle, I'm guessing." The one that spoke was a Hispanic guy. He spoke with a tough edge to his voice that added to the intimidation factor his stance and distinct muscles gave off.

"You'd be right," Rick flashed them a smile and shook hands with each in turn. "Please, call me Rick. What I can do for you gentlemen this morning?"

"Mr. Castle, I'm Detective Esposito, and this here's my partner, Detective Ryan." The muscled one, Detective Esposito, introduced them and deliberately avoided using his first name. "We're going to need you to come down to the station for questionning about a homicide investigation."

"Dad!" Alexis barked out, shocked. "What did you _do?_"

"Nothing, pumpkin." Rick put his arm around her shoulders. Her arms remained crossed over her chest and she looked between her father and the detectives, a worried frown on her face. Rick turned his attention back to the detectives. "Detectives, I have no problem coming to the station with you, but I feel like I should let you know right now that I had nothing to do with any murder."

"We appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Castle." Detective Esposito told him. He looked at Alexis. "So far we're just asking him questions. He's not under arrest."

"Good," huffed Alexis. Rick ruffled her hair.

"If you don't mind, gentlemen, I'll go dress before we go?" Rick asked courteously.

* * *

><p>Rick sat patiently in the interrogation room, his hands neatly folded on the table in front of him. He'd been sitting there maybe five minutes when the Detectives Esposito and Ryan came in, Detective Ryan carrying a large white folder.<p>

They sat across from him and Ryan opened the folder, pulling out papers and sorting through them.

"Mr. Castle," Esposito began, "You're still willing to do this without a lawyer present?"

Rick raised his eyebrows. "I don't need a lawyer, you're just asking questions. Should I feel I do need one though, I'll let you know." Esposito shot Ryan a glance.

Ryan shrugged and pushed a large picture towards Rick. "Mr. Castle, do you recognize this man?"

The man in the photo was dead, on an autopsy table, probably. There was nothing familiar about him. "No." He pushed the picture back towards Ryan, who collected it and put it back in the folder. He pulled out another picture.

"And this one?" He asked.

This guy in this picture was most certainly _not_ dead. "Of course." Rick said carefully. "That's Edward Beelt."

"Do you believe that Mr. Beelt and this man," Ryan pointed to the picture of the dead man, "knew each other?"

"Impossible to say," Rick mused, "seeing as I didn't know this man." He picked up the photo of the dead man. "What was his name?"

"Eric Heagar." This time it was Esposito who answered. "Killed three nights ago."

"By Edward?" Rick asked, looking up at the detectives.

"That's what we believe." Esposito again. "Now, Mr. Castle," Eposito shifted so that he was mirroring Rick's position. "Mr. Beelt told us that three nights ago, he was having dinner at your place with a few other coworkers."

Rick nodded. "That's right."

"What time did he arrive?" Ryan asked, a notepad in hand.

"6:30," Rick said, feeling as though this were some sort of test that he couldn't fail.

"And he left at…?"

Rick had to think about that. Everyone had left at slightly different times. "To go home? He left at around 11:30."

Esposito's eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean, 'to go home'?"

Rick looked between to the two of them, who were watching him intently. "Well, he left at about 8 to pick up his daughter from a friend's." He cleared his throat. "He was back at 8:30."

"Did he have his daughter with him?" Ryan asked.

"No, he dropped her off at home?" Rick's answered sounded like a question even to him.

Ryan and Esposito exchanged a look. Then Esposito turned back to Rick. "Thank you for your time. We'll have a uniform drive you home." They stood to leave.

"Wait wait wait!" Rick stood, knocking his chair backwards. "There's no way you can give me details, right?" The look her received from the detectives made him rephrase his question. "I'm a writer, and this would make a great story."

Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened, revealing the lady-cop he'd seen last night. "Ryan, Esposito," She called. She gave a jerk of her head, signalling that it was time for them to leave. The three of them had a quick conversation in whispers before the two male detectives made their way out of the room. "Mr. Castle, there's a uniform waiting for you at the front door to drive you home. Thank you for your help." She held the door open for him as he made his own way out of the room, collecting his jacket.

"Here's my card, if there's anything else you remember, please give me a call." She told him as she walked with him to the elevator.

As the doors to the elevator closed, he watched her walk back to her desk, meeting with Esposito and Ryan halfway there.

He tucked the card into his jacket pocket.

* * *

><p>"Dad!" Alexis called when he finally got in. She'd been sitting on the couch, still in her pajamas. At the sight of her father, she jumped up and rushed over to him, taking his hands in hers and examining his face.<p>

"Hey, pumpkin." He greeted, freeing one hand to pull her into a hug. "It was just questions. I promise I didn't do anything." He freed himself to hang his jacket up in the closet. "What were you up to?"

Alexis gestured to the couch. "Reading. But now that you're here and not in jail for some reason or another, I'm going to the mall with Jenna, okay?"

"Sure thing." Rick smiled at her. Alexis shot him a smile and kissed his cheek before going up to her room to get ready. As she bound up the stairs, Rick walked into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

Once the coffee was brewing, Rick unfolded the newspaper that sat undisturbed on the counter. Curious, he flipped to page 6, where, sure enough, there was a picture of Edward Beelt being loaded into Detective Esposito's Crown Vic. Rick cocked his head sideways. Not a very flattering picture for Edward, who looked like he was going to bite Esposito's head off. A little farther in the back of the picture, Ryan and the lady cop were exchanging notes.

Rick quickly scanned the article. The lead detective, Kate Beckett, had nothing to say on the matter of Mr. Beelt's arrest, and requested that the media kept a respectful distance as the 12th precinct worked on the case…

Rick felt something go off in his mind. Kate Beckett. The lady cop he'd seen at the party and just this morning.

He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed earlier.

She was the same Kate Beckett who'd been present after the murder in the loft. The same Kate Beckett who'd taken him and his kid out for ice cream so that's Alexis wouldn't have to deal with all the blood.


	5. Chapter 5

Rick sat on the bar stool next to him, examining the blurry face of Detective Kate Beckett. She hadn't changed too much, as far as he could tell – she was older, but she had aged with remarkable grace. Her hair was longer, and she looked less pale than she'd been all those years ago. He squinted, but couldn't get a good look at her face.

He had her card, he realized. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. No picture. Just a white card that read "Detective Kate Becket, Twelfth Precinct, NYPD", which a phone number she could be reached at.

She was a Detective now, no longer a lowly officer, standing back letting her superiors inspect crime scenes and make arrests. Now it seemed, she ran her own show.

In his mind, he could hear her response to Gina's complaints last night – how she'd coolly said she'd do as she pleased, with an air of authority that even Gina couldn't stand up to. It seemed Kate Beckett was right in her element.

Rick took his phone out of his pocket and placed it on the counter next to the card. Should he call her?

He wanted to.

But what would he say? He had no information for her, and he couldn't well call her just to chat, to catch up since their ice cream date. What would he say?

Would she even remember him, to boot? She hadn't said anything in the precinct. In fact, she'd sent him on his way rather quickly, without even a handshake to say goodbye.

He took a breath and held it for a second, then released it and quickly dialed the number on the card. He squeezed his eyes shut as it rang, exhaling heavily.

"Beckett." Her voice was clipped, but she didn't sound rushed. It was like he remembered it, with more confidence.

"Detective Beckett! I…it's…um…it's Rick Castle." He stammered. And did he ever hate himself for stammering. He wanted to smack himself on the forehead. He was a best-selling novelist. A master of words. He shouldn't be stammering.

"Mr. Castle, hi." Kate Beckett answered, sounding slightly amused. "What can I do for you?"

"I…" God, his voice sounded awful. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help with the case."

"Did you remember anything that could be helpful to my investigation, Mr. Castle?"

"Uh, no! No, sorry. I just want to help."

There was a quick sigh on the other side. "Mr. Castle, the NYPD is fully able to handle the investigation on our own. If we have any questions that would require your…" slight pause, "assistance, we'll let you know, okay?"

He was taken aback. "Okay."

"Great. Bye." Small click as she hung up the phone, and the conversation was done.


End file.
